Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Drivers of Carbon Emissions in Kenya: The Perspective of Technology

Naftaly Mose, Michael Fumey, Edwin Kipchirchir

Asian Journal of Geographical Research · pp. 1–10 · Published 6 Apr 2024

10.9734/ajgr/2024/v7i2226

Abstract

The empirical studies have portrayed from a different perspective that technology, foreign direct investment (FDI), and economic growth have diverse outcomes on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. African economies specifically Kenya are currently threatened with more CO2 emissions for which proper strategies need to be adopted to reduce and mitigate this situation. To address this issue, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique was utilized, differentiating between the long-term and short-term effects of drivers of CO2. Granger causality was applied to analyze the causality between the series. The study uses time series data for Kenya from 1990 to 2022. The short-run and long-run results indicate a negative relationship between technology and carbon emissions. Specifically, an increase in technology reduces carbon emissions while an increase in economic growth and FDI inflow increases carbon emissions. The study has identified the negative nexus between technology and carbon emissions in Kenya. This means that technological innovation can increase labour productivity and utilization of resources, thereby reducing carbon emissions. Therefore, Kenya should increase research and utilization of low and efficient carbon technologies to decouple economic growth from environmental pollution. Based on the result, various strategies have been proposed, including using different clean technologies to produce renewable fuels. FDI that complies with environmental regulations, and the use of advanced green and clean technologies can help mitigate the negative impact of technological progress on the environment. Additionally, technological progress, particularly in information and communication technology, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental quality.

Technology carbon emissions environmental quality patent

References (41)

  1. 1 Zargar R, Rather MI. Emerging Issues of Climate Change. CRC Press EBooks. 2022;215–230. [DOI]
  2. 2 Available:https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003220824-16 [DOI]
  3. 3 Adam S, Delestre I, Levell P, Miller H. Tax Policies to Reduce Carbon Emissions. Fiscal Studies. 2022;43(3). Available:https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-5890.12308. [DOI]
  4. 4 Basumatary J, Mucheri T, Nyoni T, Mose N, Waweru D. Linking the environment, SDGS and economic growth: Are we doing enough? Journal of Research in Environmental and Earth Sciences. 2021; 7(7):69-75.
  5. 5 Akhter P, Farkhondehfal MA, Hernández S, Hussain M, Fina A, Saracco G, Khan AU, Russo N. Environmental issues regarding CO2 and recent strategies for alternative fuels through photocatalytic reduction with titania-based materials. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2016;4(4):3934–3953. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2016.09.004. [DOI]
  6. 6 Zhu Y, Yu J, Fan Z, Zhang Z. 2D Materials for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction. Elsevier EBooks. 2021;183–196. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-822894-4.00006-x [DOI]
  7. 7 Grossman GM Krueger AB. Economic Growth and the Environment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 1995;110(2):353–377. Available:https://doi.org/10.2307/2118443 [DOI]
  8. 8 Yilmaz R. Industrial Development and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Case Study Evidence from the Ergene River Basin Turkey. Sosyal Blimler Metinleri. 2022 Nov 10;2022(2):99-108 Available:https://Doi.Org/10.56337/Sbm.1158780 [DOI]
  9. 9 Boudinar I. The theoretical framework of Environmental degradation, Energy consumption, and Globalization and the relationship between them. Science and Knowledge Horizons Journal. 2022;2(01): 684–701. Available:https://doi.org/10.34118/jskp.v2i01.2143 [DOI]
  10. 10 Muganyi T, Yan L, Sun H. Green finance, fintech and environmental protection: Evidence from China. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology. 2021;7: 100107. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2021.100107 [DOI]
  11. 11 Gao X, Fan M. The role of quality institutions and technological innovations in environmental sustainability: Panel data analysis of BRI countries. PLOS ONE. 2023;18(6):e0287543–e0287543. Available:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287543 [DOI]
  12. 12 Nawaz A, Saif Ur Rahman Zafar M, Ghaffar M. Technology Innovation-institutional Quality on Environmental Pollution Nexus From E-7 Nations: Evidence From Panel Ardl Cointegration Approach. Review of Applied Management and Social Sciences. 2023;6(2):307–323. Available:https://doi.org/10.47067/ramss.v6i2.329 [DOI]
  13. 13 Gisore M. Renewable energy and nonrenewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions and economic expansion nexus: Further evidence from Kenya. Energy Economics Letters. 2017;4(4):36-48 [DOI]
  14. 14 Wen H, Dai J. The Change of Sources of Growth and Sustainable Development in China: Based on the Extended EKC Explanation. Sustainability. 2021;13(5): 2803–2803. Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052803. [DOI]
  15. 15 Maranzano P, Cedeira B, Manera M. The role of education and income inequality in environmental quality. A panel data analysis of the EKC hypothesis on OECD countries. Social Science Research Network; 2021 Available:https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.310225. [DOI]
  16. 16 Dai H, Sun T, Zhang K, Guo W. Research on Rural Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Process of Urban-Rural Integration in the Economically-Developed Area in China Based on the Improved STIRPAT Model. Sustainability. 2015;7(1):782–793. Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/su7010782 [DOI]
  17. 17 Lawn P. A theoretical investigation into the likely existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. International Journal of Green Economics. 2006;1(1/2):121. Available:https://doi.org/10.1504/ijge.2006.009340 [DOI]
  18. 18 Chaudhry A, Chandni. The Impact of Innovation Technology on Carbon Emissions in India. Journal of Asian Energy Studies. 2023;7:1–19. Available:https://doi.org/10.24112/jaes.070001 [DOI]
  19. 19 Ozpolat A, Özsoy F. The Effect of Technological Innovations on Environmental Quality in Selected OECD Countries. Sosyoekonomi. 2022;11–31. Available:https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2022.01.01. [DOI]
  20. 20 Kim S. The Effects of Information and Communication Technology, Economic Growth, Trade Openness, and Renewable Energy on CO2 Emissions in OECD Countries. Energies. 2022;15(7):2517. [DOI]
  21. 21 Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072517. [DOI]
  22. 22 Milindi CB, Inglesi-Lotz R. Impact of technological progress on carbon emissions in different country income groups. Energy & Environment. 2022; 0958305X2210875. Available:https://doi.org/10.1177/0958305x221087507 [DOI]
  23. 23 Dehdar F, Silva N, Fuinhas JA, Koengkan M, Nazeer N.. The Impact of Technology and Government Policies on OECD Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Energies. 2022;15(22):8486 Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/en15228486 [DOI]
  24. 24 Aysun K, Bayar Y. Impact of information and communication technology on CO2 Emissions. Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability. 2022;1–11. Available:https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9648-7.ch001. [DOI]
  25. 25 Wang C, Liu T, Zhu Y, Wang H, Zhao S, Liu N. The impact of foreign direct investment on China’s industrial carbon emissions based on the Threshold Model. Research Square (Research Square); 2023 Available:https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2489521/v1 [DOI]
  26. 26 Khan M, Rana A, Wafa G. FDI and CO2 emissions in developing countries: The role of human capital. Natural Hazards. 2023;117(1):1125–1155. Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-05949-4 [DOI]
  27. 27 Serge P, Puatwoe J, Tabi P, Nghogekeh R, Foundjem-Tita D. Foreign direct investment and carbon emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF): Empirical evidence from tropical forest countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability; 2023 Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03267-0 [DOI]
  28. 28 Xie R, Zhang S. Re-examining the impact of global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows on haze pollution—considering the moderating mechanism of environmental regulation. 2023;0958305X2311646–0958305X2311646. Available:https://doi.org/10.1177/0958305x231164679 [DOI]
  29. 29 Chirilus AI, Costea A. The Effect of FDI on Environmental Degradation in Romania: Testing the Pollution Haven Hypothesis. 2023;15(13):10733–10733. Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310733 [DOI]
  30. 30 Zhang J, Han R, Song Z, Zhang L. Evaluation of the triangle-relationship of industrial pollution, foreign direct investment, and economic growth in China’s transformation. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2023;11. Available:https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1123068 [DOI]
  31. 31 Zheng J, Assad U, Kamal MA, Wang H. Foreign direct investment and carbon emissions in China: “Pollution Haven” or “Pollution Halo”? Evidence from the NARDL model. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. 2022;1–26. Available:https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2022.2130194 [DOI]
  32. 32 Waweru D, Mose N. Household fuel choice in urban Kenya: A multinomial logit analysis. Financial Internet Quarterly. 2022;18(2):30-41 [DOI]
  33. 33 Fang H, Zhang X, Lei T, Baya Lydia Houadi. FDI Quality, Green Technology Innovation and Urban Carbon Emissions: Empirical Evidence from China. Sustainability. 2023;15(12):9657–9657. Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129657 [DOI]
  34. 34 Dong Y. How Does FDI Affect Carbon Emissions?—Heterogeneity analysis based on spatial econometric models. Environmental Science and Engineering. 2023;447–454. Available:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25284-6_48 [DOI]
  35. 35 Madaleno M, Nogueira MC. How Renewable Energy and CO2 Emissions Contribute to Economic Growth and Sustainability—An Extensive Analysis. Sustainability. 2023;15(5):4089. Available:https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054089. [DOI]
  36. 36 Taufiq M, Bashir A, Pratama A, Hamidi I, Mukhlis M, Sukanto S. The Link between Economic Growth, Electricity Consumption, and CO2 Emissions: Evidence from Indonesia. Signifikan. 2022;11(2):253–272. Available:https://doi.org/10.15408/sjie.v11i2.26286 [DOI]
  37. 37 Néjib C, Guenichi H. The effects of economic growth, energy consumption and financial development on CO2 emissions in Tunisia: ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration. Natural Resources Conservation and Research. 2023;6(1): 2037–2037. Available:https://doi.org/10.24294/nrcr.v6i1.2037 [DOI]
  38. 38 Ifelunini I, Ekpo U, Adzugbele S, Agbutun O, Arazu C, Ugwu S, Osademe N, Asogwa F. Economic Growth, Governance And CO2 Emissions In West Africa. Chinese Journal of Urban And Environmental Studies. 2023;11(01). Available:https://Doi.Org/10.1142/S2345748123500021 [DOI]
  39. 39 Thomi J, Kipchirchir E, Tanchev S, Mose N. Effect of Mobile Money on Money Demand in Kenya: Time Series Regression Analysis. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development. 2024;15(3):8-16.
  40. 40 Pesaran M, Shin Y, Smith R. Bounds Testing Approaches to the Analysis of Level Relationships. Journal of Applied Econometrics. 2001;16(3):289–326. [DOI]
  41. 41 Kipchirchir E, Mose N. Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Kenya: A Comprehensive Analysis. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting. 2024;24(2):1–13. Available:https://doi.org/10.9734/ajeba/2024/v24i21215 [DOI]

Cited by 5

Neutralizing the surging environmental pollution amidst renewable energy consumption and economic growth in Ghana: Insights from ARDL and quantile regression analysis

Michael Provide Fumey, Gabriel Mordzifa Sackitey, John Wiredu · Sustainable Social Development · 2024

Assessing the dynamic nexus between international trade, foreign direct investment, economic growth, and climate change within the EKC framework

Michael Provide Fumey, Evans Yeboah, Festus Victor Bekun · Energy & Environment · 2025

Assessment into the nexus between load capacity factor, population, government policy in form of environmental tax: accessing evidence from Turkey

Festus Victor Bekun, Ashutosh Yadav, Joshua Chukwuma Onwe · International Journal of Energy Sector Management · 2024

The asymmetric relationship between pollution, economic growth, urbanization, renewable energy consumption, and life expectancy in Ghana: a novel Quantile-on-Quantile analysis

Wanli Zhang, Michael Provide Fumey, Festus Victor Bekun · Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health · 2025

Electric mobility initiatives in Kisumu: enablers, progress, barriers and impacts in a secondary African city

Judith Oginga Martins · Sustainable Earth Reviews · 2025

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

0

Page views

0

PDF downloads

0

Outbound clicks

5

Citations

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

No views recorded yet.

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

No traffic recorded yet.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.